


A Little Levity

by Lokei



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alien Technology, Humor, M/M, Telekinesis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-23
Updated: 2012-08-23
Packaged: 2017-11-12 17:10:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/493674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokei/pseuds/Lokei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love’s not the only thing making Jack feel like walking on air.  Set late season 4-ish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Levity

**Author's Note:**

> Originally inspired by romanticalgirl’s “sex is fun” challenge, but you know me and deadlines. I like to wave at them as they pass by. This one vanished into the ether long ago, in a galaxy far far away. Now finally resuscitated for a (similarly gone by) jackdanielpromptfic monthly challenge, “Upgrades.”

The inhabitants of P3M-770 were very accommodating, Jack decided, and not half-bad for an industrial-revolution era society.  Their Stargate—ignored and overgrown in a field, with the DHD covered in moss—was far enough from a population center that the parallels to an ignored Stonehenge or Newgrange were immediately obvious, even to Jack, though Daniel had naturally gone on about it at length anyway.

Jack had grouched about his archaeologist’s enthusiasm, just to keep up appearances, but mostly he was amused.  He was also relieved that it was unlikely anyone would be shooting at them for hopping out of the middle of nowhere into, well, the middle of nowhere.  The UAV had shown habitation within a doable, if not comfortable, walking distance, and beyond that, some other promising something-or-other indicators in the landscape which Daniel had informed him—rapidly and with a return of young-Daniel bouncing and energetic hand-waving—were suggestive of a previous settlement of relatively high sophistication. 

Hence the archaeologist’s enthusiasm, the colonel’s anticipated boredom, and the general’s inconvenient leniency as regards timing for this mission, due to the dulcet promise of Good Stuff to Find.  Jack foresaw several days of hobnobbing with people with bad fashion sense and hopefully no idea of the value of the stuff which Daniel would be pleading to take home with them.  Good times.

As it turned out, this particular society cared about as much for the ruins in the hillside as they did for the Stargate, which was precisely nothing.  Much to Daniel’s volubly expressed indignation as soon as the team was allowed a few minutes alone in their Victorian-esque suite, their hosts, however pleasant, were not at all interested in history, archaeology, mythology or rumors, lies and fairytales.  Solely interested in speeding up their mills, their transportation, and their communication, the Dernians were politely incredulous that anyone would want to bother with ‘the old stuff.’

Even Teal’c’s lips were twitching at that one, and Jack distinctly noticed Carter turning a snicker into an unconvincing cough.  Naturally, no matter how many times Jack dissed his rocks—not those ones, but the old ones with the chicken scratches on them—Daniel still turned to the colonel to appeal for support.  Equally naturally, Jack found it a lot easier to toss out a gruff sentence or two about the importance of Daniel’s flakiness when it was someone else at fault for calling him flaky in the first place.  Those Darnits were making Jack look good.  He liked this planet.

“There has to be someone in your society who studies the ruins on the other side of town,” Daniel was currently pleading with one of their hosts over a plate of uncomfortable-looking appetizers.

Their host, Jack was pretty sure his name was something like Janice, but he was a little afraid to ask about it, frowned.  "Well, there is Magreet."  He said the name with something like disgust and something like amusement, and Jack was pretty sure a man named Janice should not be mocking a man named Margaret.  
  
"He's a historian?"  Daniel's eyebrows were doing their hopeful jiggle and Jack looked hard at the uncomfortable appetizer tray so that he didn't make the capital mistake of either laughing or bending Daniel over a table and shoving his tongue down his archaeologist's throat.  Jack still hadn't figured out how to deal with this whole instinct to ravish Daniel at every possible opportunity-- the fact that he actually COULD  and would be welcomed if he did wasn't old or familiar yet, and made him wish desperately that they were home so he could get used to it some more.  
  
"A historian? Yes," Janice made a dubious noise.  "He has been studying the ruins for nearly fifteen years, but he has little to show for it that aids our progress in any way.  He is tolerated on the fringes of the scholastic societies, but few pay him much attention."  
  
Jack winced and caught Carter doing the same.  Daniel, however, merely raised a finger to rub momentarily across his lips, erasing his smirk, and said politely, "Sounds like my kind of fellow," Daniel's eyes glinted when they met Jack’s, repressed amusement shining through.  
  
Yep, Jack loved this guy.  Loved him when he smooth-talked his way into getting a guide to take them all to Magreet's offices for the morning, loved him when he wrapped Professor Corbin Magreet around his little finger within about two minutes of their arrival.  One little “I’m Doctor Daniel Jackson, archaeologist,” and Professor Margaret was toast.  Jack didn’t blame him.  Daniel had that sort of effect on people.

“You mean you too are an enthusiast on the subject of the illustrious past!” Professor Magreet—who bore an uncomfortable resemblance to Harlan in his level of enthusiasm, though was fortunately nowhere near so rotund or annoying—was practically bouncing as he shook Daniel’s hand.  “What a pleasure to meet someone else with my own appreciation for the glories of the once-have-been!”

Daniel, remarkably, managed to keep a straight face during this equally remarkable pronouncement, though Teal’c’s eyebrows nearly went through the roof and even Carter was having a bit of trouble as she sputtered, “Daniel’s really more than an enthusiast, Professor.  He has a number of degrees in the subject and is the world’s leading expert on more than a handful of ancient societies, both on Earth and elsewhere.”

Daniel looked like he was about to point out that in some cases he was the ONLY expert due to that pesky national security and secrecy thing, but Jack trod significantly on his toes and the archaeologist dropped the humble pie in favor of glaring at his significant other.  Jack smiled.  In his opinion, the archaeologist’s bruised toes were a fair price to pay for the wide-eyed awe now being bestowed on said archaeologist, not to mention the extremely eager offers to show them around.

Jack had no problems watching Daniel play in the dirt, but having someone else do the dirty work meant less time between watching Daniel peel back layers and watching Daniel peel off layers.  Jack had a very clear idea which of those prepositions he preferred.

“Yes, and here, these are the objects I recovered from the smallest eastern mound.  There must be many more such treasures in the larger mounds near the center of the ring, but I have not yet found a way inside.  All my test pits have turned up nothing but rocks and soil and more rocks.  But, ah, I have not despaired!”  Magreet’s voice broke in on Jack’s musings and so the colonel cast a lazy eye over the display case which the alien scientist was indicating.

There was something familiar about that object in the corner, though he thought it was upside down…

“Daniel,” Jack’s tone was sharper than he intended, and Magreet looked at him in surprise.  Jack’s own archaeologist tracked Jack’s gaze to the—

“Um,” Daniel said intelligently, eyes going wide.  “Professor, how much do you know about the society these objects came from?”

  1. It is difficult without a staff or funding for the research, yes?”



“Can’t argue with that one,” Daniel muttered, bending closer to the cabinet and frowning a little.  “Did you find any texts that went with these objects, Professor?”

“Only fragments,” the other gave a dramatic sigh, “and I fear I have little talent in that area.  An eye for the past, yes, but sadly no tongue for it.”

“Daniel Jackson’s tongue is most impressive,” Teal’c intoned.  There was a beat and then he added “He has a facility for many languages.” 

Daniel was studiously avoiding looking at any of them, Carter started coughing again, and Jack shot the big guy an admiring glance for his continued straight man routine: 

“Perhaps you should show him these fragments you speak of.”

“Good idea, T.”  Jack caught the tail end of Daniel’s glare and winked at his linguist behind the professor’s back as he trundled off to locate the requested documents.  “Always important to let Daniel get in some practice in that area.  Never know when it’ll come in handy.”

Carter sputtered more and Daniel just rolled his eyes.  He reached out to snag the major’s arm and pulled her closer with a quiet “Sam, tell me I’m wrong about that armband, please.”

Sam’s eyes widened.  “That’s an Atanik armband, like—“

“The ones Anise and Freya had us test.  I thought so.”  Daniel’s face did a complicated squirm as if he couldn’t tell whether he should be expressing excitement or concern.  “Anise knew very little about the civilization as a whole, so if this was one of their worlds, with an extensive presence like the mounds suggest—“

“—then it’s potentially from earlier in the life of the empire, which means they may not have been as dependant on the viral technology.  Some of it might be accessible without the side effects of the armbands we tried.”  Sam grinned.

“And at the very least it’s information we can share with the Tok’ra when we need some from them,” Jack added with satisfaction.

“Which would argue for a thorough survey so that we have something useful to tell them,” Daniel’s lips quirked as Jack shot him his ‘I see what you did there’ glare.

“Assuming, of course,” Daniel added, “that the Professor and the Dernian government would be willing to allow us to take a closer look at the mounds.”  He turned to Magreet who had returned with an armful of papers and which were practically vibrating out of his grip as he expressed his excitement.

“Of course, of course, my humble findings are at your disposal.  You say you have some knowledge of these objects and their creators—how splendid!  Please, do tell me all!”

Jack tipped his head to Daniel and left the archaeologist to the enthusiastic ramblings of his fellow academic, choosing instead to trail Carter around the office as she did some surreptitious scanning.

“Well?”

“No obvious energy signatures or radiation readings coming from anything in these cases,” Carter confirmed.  “They’re all inert, at least for now.”  She waved at a bracelet-looking thing on the nearby table.  “Try picking it up, see if it reacts to body heat, but—“

“Don’t put it on.  I gotcha, Carter.”  Jack gingerly picked up the bracelet and held it between his palms, shooting a questioning glance at his 2IC.

She shook her head.  “Nothing.  Looks like that might just be a bracelet, sir.”

Jack put it down before he gave in to the impulse to start singing ‘I Feel Pretty.’  Discipline among the troops this trip was already at a shocking low, after all.  No need to give them more ammunition.  He picked up a short implement from beside the bracelet, looked kinda like a mallet, with similar pewter and blue coloration to the armband.  There was also a bead in the handle that glowed briefly and then went out.

Magreet appeared at his elbow.  “Alas, that is all it ever does.  I must confess I had hoped for something more spectacular than a hammer, but that appears to be its purpose.”

Carter’s hand was out and Jack dropped the mallet into it.  She turned it over a few times and grinned.  “I think that’s the dead battery warning, sir.”

“Battery powered hammer?”

“I doubt it’s just a hammer, sir.”

“Perhaps it is akin to a sonic screwdriver, O’Neill,” Teal’c leaned over the major’s shoulder.

“A what?”

Carter looked in danger of giggling unprofessionally for about the hundredth time this mission.  “Never mind, sir.”

Jack shook his head and went back over to check on Daniel, who might actually be the sanest member of the team, for once.  The archaeologist was poring over an assembly of papers, loose and bound, and when he looked up, Jack could tell in a millisecond that Daniel was already caught up in the thrill of the intellectual chase.  It was a good look on him.

“I made a copy of Anise’s notes regarding the armbands and their markings—this is definitely the same script.” 

Jack made a ‘go on’ motion as he saw Magreet drifting back their way. 

“Based on the very rough translation I can do without the rest of my references, it definitely seems that there was an Atanik city or possibly fort here, for at least a hundred years.  There are mentions of jewelers and scientists and something that is either a political or military record of sorts.  Based just on what Professor Magreet has uncovered, I’d say there’s more than enough here to ask the General to authorize a longer term survey with an archaeological team and one or two of Sam’s people, as well.  Between the UAV and a few GPR units we could have the rest of the mounds mapped in a matter of days, figure out the most likely access points to the structure I’m pretty sure is still mostly intact under that largest mound.”

Jack rubbed the back of his neck.  “We’ll need something solid to take back to Hammond to convince him it’s worth sending a full team, but if you can provide that, I’ll get behind it.”

“A team!”  Magreet’s joy echoed off the walls.  “To come and study my little project, how marvelous.” 

Daniel smiled.  “I’m afraid we cannot promise anything like a full excavation force—a few trained archaeologists and scientists and some equipment, probably, if we can convince our leaders of the site’s importance.  But at the very least I can get you a copy of the notes I have so far on this culture, which should help you get some attention from your own authorities, maybe some funding to hire some local labor to help your own excavation efforts.”

Magreet clutched Daniel’s hand in both of his and shook it with alarming enthusiasm.  “I shall look forward to your return with them with great anticipation.”

Daniel disengaged politely.  “Actually, I probably won’t be part of the long term study team, so if I do come back it will be for a very short trip only.  My duties lie elsewhere.”

Magreet frowned, but then brightened again.  “Still, I owe you greatly for this increase in knowledge and importance—with your backing surely the university will see the light and grant my request for further funding.  So much to do, so much to do!” 

Daniel’s smile turned rueful with what Jack assumed was familiarity with the academic hamster wheel.  “Of course, and we appreciate your being willing to let us examine the artifacts you’ve already uncovered in addition to conducting an excavation of our own.”

“Yes, yes, your colleagues are welcome to study here, of course, so nice to have company.” Magreet puttered about his space as he spoke, pausing as he seemed to have a sudden thought.

 “Ah, but you personally must also have a piece from my collection, as a token of my gratitude, Doctor Jackson,” Magreet clasped his hands in the classic imploring form.  Jack seriously considered telling the man he needed to update his material, but the siren song of Stuff We Can Use was stronger than his inner snark. 

Daniel threw a somewhat anxious glance at Jack.  “Well, that’s really very kind of you, but—“

Ah.  Someone was still skittish about the whole armband incident.  Well, the whole collapsing under a backpack of naquadah was a little silly looking, but hardly Daniel’s fault.  And the bar fight had actually been kind of fun at the time, even though Hammond had chewed them all out afterwards.

Jack shrugged.  “Your call, Daniel.  See anything interesting?  But not _too_ interesting.”

Daniel eyed the objects in their cases and on their shelves with the air of a man trying not to look like a kid in a candy shop.  He bypassed anything that too closely resembled the armbands—smart man—and gravitated towards a tray of smaller items.  To Jack’s untrained eye, they had all apparently been pulled together because of a high level of decoration, and some of those same chicken scratches Daniel had just been poring over in the batty professor’s notes.  Unsurprising that they caught Magpie Jackson’s attention.

“Major, you’re sure we’re as safe as we can be from any side effects?” Jack checked in an undertone.

“Since the professor hasn’t ever experienced symptoms and we ourselves should have lingering immunity from our previous exposure, we should be all right.”  Carter paused.  “As long as we don’t wear any of it for very long.”

Jack gave that unnecessary caution the eye roll it deserved. 

“So, Daniel?”

“Just gauging the level of ‘interesting,’ Jack.  Most of these have ‘labels’ on them in the Atanik script so I’m trying to work out what they might be.  The writing on the armbands was a little misleading, as you may recall—“ Daniel raised his eyes to Jack’s expectantly.

“Something about great power and great responsibility, right?  Where it probably should have said something about great power and great stupidity?”

Daniel shot Jack an appreciative smile.  “Right.  So I’m not really sure how helpful any of these labels are going to be—these two have phrases on them that seems to reduce to ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and this one over here has a pretty standard warning about eavesdropping—they really went for the aphorisms, apparently.  So I’d guess that these are maybe prototypes for the armbands, with more limited capabilities, like improved sight and hearing.  Obviously there’s no way to be sure, but,” Daniel shrugged.  “I’m not exactly volunteering to put one on and try it out.”

Jack nodded.  “And that one?”

Daniel frowned and picked the object in question up off the tray.  It looked a little like one of those earpieces for a phone or radio, and a little bit like those ear collar things that Jack vaguely thought were popular with Goths and other heavy jewelry wearers like that.  “This one isn’t a cliché I’m familiar with,” he said wryly.  “It says something about the power of thought, and something that might be about magnets.”

“Magnets?”

Daniel turned his frown on Jack.  “I did say I could only get a rough translation without the rest of my resource materials.  It’s been months since I even thought about this language, let alone spent any time with it.”

Jack raised his hands peaceably.  “Okay, just checking.  I’m guessing that’s the one you want to take home as a party favor, then?”

Daniel’s frown eased and he nodded.  Jack turned to Magreet to make the team’s goodbyes and round up Carter and Teal’c from where they were dithering with their fancy hammer.

“Carter, why don’t you and Teal’c go ahead to the gate and check in with Hammond, let him know our progress and that once Daniel and I are done talking to Mayor Janus and paving the way for the follow up contact, we’ll be on our way home.”

Teal’c nodded and the two of them headed out, with Jack and Daniel’s departure only a <i>few</i> minutes delayed by the good professor’s earnest repetitions of thanks and eagerness for their return.

\- - - -

Given the relative distances they had to travel, Jack was surprised that he and Daniel had made it all the way back to their room before hearing from Carter, who should have hit the gate long before.

“Report, Carter.”

“Well, sir, I have some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that the General seemed pretty likely to authorize a team based on our initial findings, he said he’s eager to read our final reports.”

“And the bad news?”

“He and Janet have asked for me to come back immediately, sir.  There’s been some kind of incident with SG-4 and Janet says she could really use my help.  Apparently they are advising teams off world to stay there, and they’re not letting anyone Earth-side leave the base until the SG-4 situation is resolved.”

Jack sighed.  “Well, we can surely wrap stuff up here on our own, and if the base is in lockdown there’s not much point in hurrying home.  You go on back, take Teal’c with you if you think he can be of help, and Daniel and I will make nice with the Dernians for a while longer.  Teal’c, you all right with that?”

“Indeed.”

“Yes, sir.”

“All right then.  We’ll expect to hear from someone in six hours, let us know what’s up.  O’Neill out.”

Jack turned to see Daniel flopped down on the bed, looking wry.

“So much for an early night,” the archaeologist offered.

Jack attempted a look of surprise and Daniel snorted.

“You’ve been thinking it since we <i>got</i> here, Colonel, don’t try to snow me now.  The only reason you haven’t been dancing with impatience to be home is because you think I’ll be more likely to invite you to stay over if I’m in a good mood.”

Jack’s grin broke through and he shrugged.  “No harm indulging in some peaceful exploration when it’s actually gonna get us somewhere.  Bonus points if it makes you happy at the same time.”

Daniel shook his head against the green counterpane and, thankfully, chuckled.  “Come over here, then.  We’ve got almost two hours before we have our appointment with the council, and you’re not the only one whose evening plans got postponed.”  He patted the bed beside him and Jack didn’t need more convincing, ditching the rest of his gear on the table and hitting the bedspread with an intentional bounce. 

“So, tell me more about these plans,” he invited grandly, rewarded when Daniel rolled his eyes.

“I can do better than that.”  Daniel reached over and tugged Jack’s shoulder to get the colonel to roll to his side and over to half cover him.  Daniel then snaked his other arm under Jack’s armpit to drag him a little closer and proceeded to kiss him with determination and enthusiasm which Jack reciprocated gladly.

His enthusiasm dimmed a bit when he realized that there was something sharp and distinctly not-Daniel digging into his ribcage.  He detached himself far enough to lean up on one elbow.

“Daniel?  Something in your shirt pocket of the uncomfortable variety?”

Daniel’s eyes widened and he pulled the Ziploc bag with Professor Magreet’s gift out of his pocket.  “Suppose I should have given this to Sam to bring back to the SGC,” he said sheepishly.

“Nah, not like we knew she was going back when she dialed,” Jack waved his hand.  “Though you could have, you know, put it in your pack.”

“Which I wasn’t carrying?” Daniel raised an eyebrow.

“When we got back to the room.”

Daniel’s eyes twinkled.  “Yes, forgive me for my lapse in proper procedure.  You overwhelmed me with your very presence, o Colonel my Colonel.”

Jack snorted.  “Cheeky, Doctor Jackson.  But completely understandable, of course.”

Daniel thwapped him with a nearby pillow.  Jack grabbed the bag and dangled it in front of the archaeologist’s face.  “Don’t make me toss this on the floor.  There’s bound to be proper procedure in you somewhere.”

Daniel made a face and took the bag back, sitting up and frowning at the object inside.  “Jack, was this writing red when I picked it up in Magreet’s lab?”

Jack squinted at it.  “I have no idea.”

Daniel opened the bag and poured the jewelry out into his hand.  “Hmm.  It hasn’t got any sort of locking mechanism, and it’s not quite the right shape for a bracelet.  It looks like it’s supposed to just curve around something, kind of ear-shaped, maybe.  But I could have sworn that etching was silvery earlier.”

“Ear-shaped?”

“Yeah, like this.” Daniel held up the piece of metal to his ear.

“Don’t!”

Daniel brought his hand down and the metal came with it.  “Relax, Jack.  Here, hold it yourself.  There’s no way that could possibly get stuck on my ear, there’s no latch or post or anything.”  He passed over the earpiece and then blinked as the writing turned back to silver in Jack’s hand.  “Okay, that’s weird.”

Jack looked at the metal and then back up at Daniel, lips pursed.  He passed the piece back again and they both stared as the writing warmed once more to red.

“So, it seems to be…attuned to me somehow,” Daniel licked his lips.  “That’s interesting.”

“What do you suppose it does?” Jack asked pointedly.  “You said the inscription had something to do with the power of thought?”  <i>And how worried should I be?</i> was the unspoken question running underneath the others.

Daniel, uncharacteristically, shrugged.  “I can’t get a more accurate translation without my references.  I’m frankly surprised I remember as much of it as I do, given the kind of haze that’s descended over the whole armband incident.”

Jack’s face twisted.  “Small mercies,” he agreed.

Daniel’s lips twitched and Jack could practically hear the absent Teal’c’s ‘Indeed.’ 

“The armbands needed prolonged physical contact.  I would have thought that the artifact bag would have prevented any kind of viral transfer—I swear I only held it for a few seconds, and it’s been sealed and in my pocket—un –fiddled-with, yes, Jack—ever since.  I suppose it could be activated by just prolonged proximity.”  His tone was dubious.  “But activated to do what?”

“I’d tell you to just put it away and forget about it until we get back, but I’m more nervous about leaving something activated and a mystery than what might happen if I let you play around with it for a little while.  After all, you haven’t accidentally blown anything up for ages.”

“Gee, thanks, Jack.”  Daniel rolled his eyes and started to lift the ear-thingy towards his face.

“Aht!  You’re <i>sure</i> there’s no way it can get stuck.”

Daniel gave him a reassuring glance and squinted at the writing again.  Jack could practically see the little frustrated thought bubbles hovering over his archaeologist’s head as he sought the missing links that would provide him with the complete translation.

Finally, Daniel’s face lightened a little and he looked up, taking in the fact that Jack was still watching him with an appreciative half-smile.

“Allowing for the fact that I’m pretty much definitely missing some possible nuances—“

Jack raised his eyebrows at the elaborate qualification, but said nothing.

“—I think I’ve got the basic idea.  It says—roughly—‘the power of mind made visible pulls like a magnet.’”  Daniel slipped the twisted metal over the edge of his ear as Jack was still trying to follow why Daniel got more out of that than he had before.  Daniel grinned.  “Watch, Jack.”  He pointed at Jack’s dusty green cap where it lay on the other bed, and Jack watched, befuddled, as the cap wavered and then rose in the air, drifting slowly to land in Daniel’s outstretched hand.

“What the-?” Jack grabbed at the hat and flipped it around, gaping as Daniel twitched his hand and the hat sailed obediently back to the archaeologist.

Daniel reached up with his free hand and disengaged the ear-cuff-thing.  “Telekinesis, Jack.  Will something to move and it does.  I don’t know how powerful it is, or how long it lasts, but it clearly works.”

Jack grimaced.  “Carter’s going to kill us when she finds out she missed this.”

Daniel chuckled.  “We’ll bring it back for her and let her check it out to her heart’s content when SG-4’s emergency is all taken care of.”  He hooked the earpiece back on.  “I wonder how big an object I can move?”  Daniel’s pack rocked in the corner and lifted a few inches off the ground and the archaeologist grinned, then looked at Jack speculatively.

“Oh, no.”  Jack shook his head decisively.  “Absolutely no way, Daniel.”  Jack felt a tugging on his hand and it rose an inch until he tensed his muscles and brought it back down to the quilt between them.  Daniel’s eyebrows twitched.

“Okay, so moving body parts only works up until you exert an equal or greater force,” he muttered.  “What about…”

Jack felt a similar tugging on his shoulderblades and armpits, like someone trying to drag him up by the upper arms.  “Quit it, Daniel.  You’re going to dislocate something before you manage to lift me.”

Daniel frowned and the pulling sensation was replaced by a lifting one from under Jack’s seat.  Jack looked down to see himself floating a good eight inches off the bed.

“Daniel!  What are you doing?”

“Imagining a forklift,” the other ground out, the effort of concentration making itself apparent in his voice and the rising color in his face.

“Funny,” Jack snipped.  “Now put me down before you drop me.”

The colonel fell abruptly to the bed and glared.  “Nice.”

Daniel sagged a little and flicked the earpiece off, letting out a long breath.  “The fine control still needs a little work.  Sorry, Jack.”

“I just bet you are,” Jack grumbled, his previous playful mood apparently completely gone. 

"It took the same amount of effort to lift you as the pack, and if I can say it without offending you, you <i>are</i> heavier than that.”

Jack narrowed his eyes but let it go, knowing that Daniel found his occasional forays into vanity amusing.  Jack just couldn’t help noticing his hair going gray while Daniel looked brighter and buffer by the day.  So not fair.

Daniel bit his lip.  “Will you let me try again?  I swear I won’t if you say no.”

Jack looked at his watch.  They still had a fair amount of time before their audience.  “Oh, what the hell,” he sighed.  “Just—be careful, all right?”

Daniel grinned and Jack felt a flutter of something that was more fun than pure anxiety.  Mischief looked good on Daniel, and Jack recognized his ‘I have a plan and you’re going to like it’ face.

“Do me a favor?  I think I can make this more comfortable.”

As he rose it felt a little like lying face down on a balance beam—his core was supported but he could bring his arms down and move his head to one side or the other of the invisible support Daniel held under him.

Speaking of Daniel, the sneak had moved so that he was lying under Jack and smirking up at him.  Jack made a grab for him but Daniel lifted him out of arms’ reach so that Jack was left to cross his arms mid-air like some grumpy genie while Daniel chuckled from the comfort of the bed.

“Daniel, focus,” Jack snapped, though he wasn’t actually all that concerned about falling at the moment.  He was just a little disconcerted by the way Daniel’s eyes raked him with an anticipatory gleam.  Jack didn’t <i>mind</i> it particularly, but he was definitely not used to it yet.  Especially when he had thought that his make-out session had been derailed in pursuit of science and had tamped down his regret and arousal accordingly.

“Trust me, I’m very focused, Jack.”  Daniel leaned up and kissed Jack lightly, ducking down again when Jack tried to reciprocate, and squinting a little.  Jack felt the shape of his invisible support change again—it felt more like lying against a ladder this time, and that would have been pretty uncomfortable if Daniel weren’t being incredibly distracting by using the newly created space to unbutton Jack’s shirt and pants.

In fact, in very short order, Daniel had managed to divest Jack of <i>all</i> his clothes, and the colonel probably should have been complaining about that, seeing as they were, you know, still on a mission and all.  But then Daniel—who’d also gotten naked while Jack wasn’t paying attention, and wasn’t it a good thing that he wasn’t the one with the mental control doohickey—floated up to join Jack mid-air, wrapping a pair of strong arms around the colonel and letting the invisible ladder dissolve.

Jack waited for them to fall and blinked at Daniel when they didn’t.

“Hello,” Daniel grinned, tucking a foot around Jack’s calf.  “Comfortable?”

“Confused,” Jack admitted, shifting a little so he could wrap his arms around Daniel in return, noting that it didn’t feel like there was anything holding the two of them up at all.  “Among other things.”

“I’m trying something different,” Daniel said, letting his hands wander over Jack’s back.  “But don’t worry, if we fall, you’re going to land on me, so you’ll be fine.”

Jack reached up and tugged Daniel’s hair.  “And what makes you think that’s reassuring?”

Daniel rocked up into him and Jack was forced to acknowledge that, yes, some part of him was not at all concerned about being midair and was plenty happy to be granted this seeming all-access pass to Daniel, gravity and the usual requisite flat surfaces be damned.

“Stop thinking, Jack,” Daniel murmured into his ear.  “Indulge in some peaceful exploration instead.”

Jack recognized the reference to their earlier conversation and rolled his eyes even as his fingers got busy tracking up and down one of Daniel’s thighs.  “Not what I—“

Daniel barrel-rolled them mid-air and kissed Jack forcefully, not letting up the pressure of lips or biceps or legs until Jack let himself go boneless in Daniel’s embrace.  Daniel gentled then, reaching up to curl a hand around the back of Jack’s neck and the other down to his rear end.

“Ass,” Daniel said fondly, breaking off the kiss.

“Yes it is,” Jack agreed, wiggling a little bit.

“Not what I meant either,” Daniel punctuated his statement with a squeeze.  “But nice all the same.  You going to relax and have fun now?”

“Are you going to get an insane case of the munchies or put me through a wall?” Jack countered, sliding his leg up between Daniel’s and marveling at the weightlessness he felt, like hanging at the top of a roller coaster just before the drop.

Daniel chuckled.  “We have maybe an hour before we need to get cleaned up to face the council in a respectable fashion.  So, no.”

“Still feeling okay?”

“Besides a slightly elevated sense of recklessness and a growing desire to dump you back on the bed just so you’ll stop fussing?  I’m fine.  I have a lovely mental picture firmly in mind of the private pool I wish I had so we could float like this without alien tech, and I would very much appreciate it if you would get on with the plans you’ve been making since breakfast.”

“That thing read minds, too?” Jack joked, finally squirming down a little in Daniel’s embrace to pay the archaeologist’s skin some serious attention of the kissing-and-more variety.

“I don’t need it around you,” Daniel muttered, loosening his grip and curling into Jack’s touch.  He shivered as Jack’s fingers tracked over the dips and lines of the muscles of his shoulders and upper arms, especially when Jack paused to rub hypnotic circles into the crook of his left elbow and then down to the thin skin at his inner wrist.  Jack pressed a soft kiss against his pulse point and brought Daniel’s hand back to its previous position on his ass, squeezing once and then letting go.  Daniel chuckled and took the hint, dipping his fingers between the muscles and making Jack shiver.

“No time for that right now,” Daniel’s voice was regretful, but turned wry as he added, “not that I think I’d be able to keep my concentration even if we did.”

Jack had a mental image of them crashing to the bed at an inopportune moment and snickered against Daniel’s cheek, feeling Daniel’s answering grin warp the skin beneath his lips.  He turned enough to kiss into that smile and wrapped his arms fully around the other man, taking advantage of the way there were no hard surfaces to limit the motion.

Mercifully, that was the end of the conversation for rather a while, as they set up a rhythm that echoed in Jack’s bones, the same back and forth that characterized all their interactions, and had since the beginning.  Daniel’s willingness to push back against Jack’s intentions and inclinations had been one of the first things to cut through Jack’s post-Charlie fog—and the archaeologist’s confounding on-again off-again helpless enthusiasm had been one of the next.  These days Daniel’s competence far exceeded his tendency to throw himself into dangerous situations, so Jack couldn’t help but be charmed, however unwillingly, by today’s more-reckless-than-usual ‘experiment.’ They were barely six inches off the bed by the time he recovered and he rocked into Daniel with a smirk that grew as Daniel’s muscles trembled.




“Distracted, Doctor Jackson?  I can’t help but notice we’ve lost some altitude.”

“Perceptive as always,” Daniel’s voice was back to sounding strained.  “Oh—“ and here he added some foreign words that Jack assumed were a more colorful version of ‘to hell with it’—and they dropped the final few inches to the bed as Daniel’s control gave out spectacularly.

Jack grinned down at the mess between them and back up at Daniel’s look of satisfaction.  It didn’t much matter whether that satisfaction derived from their naked aerosports or the solving of the puzzle (and knowing Daniel, it was as likely the latter as the former), but knowing Daniel, Jack could be certain that look was at least half his doing.  Jack reckoned he’d now made up for any plans that had gotten shoved aside due to delays and lockdowns, and would be able to collect on that goodwill sooner rather than later.

“I know that look.  How are you scheming again so soon?”

“It’s a gift.  I was thinking naked in a rowboat could be a good look on you.”

“For the last time, Jack, there is nothing sexy about fishing.  Or splinters.”  Still generally looking pleased with himself, Daniel shook his head a little against the quilt and the earclip popped off, harmlessly silver once more.

“Huh.”  Jack picked it up and twisted it in his hand.  “Think we broke it?  That’d be a hell of a thing to put on a mission report. ‘The alien device ceased functioning due to—‘”

“Magnets,” Daniel stretched sleepily under him and then rewrapped his arms around Jack’s shoulders and waist in a comfortable tangle.  “Or dead batteries.  I actually don’t care at the moment.  Are we napping or are you putting that on?”

Jack shot a glance at the watch that Daniel had left in eyeshot and started to grin. 


End file.
